Easy-Carry, Quick-Deploy, Firm-Grip, Non-Lethal Defensive Sticks and Method of Use

ABSTRACT

A defensive stick and relayed system and method of use system, comprising: a defensive stick comprising at least one and no more than two strike ends thereof; a user grip tightly affixed and substantially immobile relative to the strike ends; a carriage housing removably mating with the first one of the strike ends; and a connector connecting the carriage housing to a carriage point selected from the group consisting of: a place on the user&#39;s body, a fixed place near the user, and a material object carried by the user; wherein: when, in response to a perceived threat, the user applies a separation force at least one and no more than ten pounds, the defensive stick separates from the carriage housing, has its first strike end exposed, and thereby deploys for immediate defensive use with a single separation hand motion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is an unfortunate reality of modern life that people are oftenassaulted by other people and so feel the need to carry defensiveweapons which can help them counteract the actions of an attacker. Thisis naturally the case for law-enforcement officers, but it is also truefor the general population. However, the choice of defensive weapon isnot always an easy one, because defensive weapons can often be turnedagainst the person who was hoping to use them in his or her defense,either inadvertently by accident or deliberately at the hands of theattacker.

For example, a gun is certainly a lethal weapon, but in the stress of aphysical confrontation the victim often freezes and fails to pull thetrigger, or the safety is inadvertently left on. If quickly snatchedaway by an attacker, this firearm can ultimately end up proving lethalto its owner. Guns have also been known to misfire on occasion. Inaddition, the threat posed by a particular assault, while serious, maynot rise to the level of requiring the lethal force that can beinflicted by a firearm.

Likewise, although a knife does not generally have a safety (somefolding knives actually do) and cannot misfire in the same way as a gun,there is still a high likelihood that it can be wrestled away and thenused in a potentially lethal attack against the defender. Smaller andweaker “victims” are what an attacker is usually looking for, so this isa real concern. Therefore a knife, by its very nature, would prove farmore lethal to the victim if wrestled away and used against him or herthan would a small stick-like device whose primary purpose is defensive,and which is meant to impart non-lethal pain to the attacker allowingthe victim to safely retreat.

Additionally, the element of tactical surprise is an important asset fora defender. This surprise is achieved in part by the defender being ableto easily carry and quickly deploy a defensive weapon before theattacker becomes aware that the defender is carrying such a defense.Guns and knives are not helpful for providing tactical surprise, becausethese can often be detected and if they are, an attacker knows instantlythat these are serious defensive weapons. Similarly, larger stick andbatons such as those employed by law enforcement are instantlyrecognized by an adversary as serious defensive weapons, and in manyplaces it is illegal for civilians to carry batons.

Over many years, smaller defensive sticks have been developed which arehelpful for providing effective, fast, non-lethal defense. These sticksgenerally go under the art names of “Yawara sticks” and “Kubotansticks.” Despite the Yawara stick having been introduced as far back as1937 and the Kubotan in the 1960s, these defensive sticks have gonevirtually unnoticed by the vast majority of the population—potentialattackers included.

These sticks are often fabricated from a hard metal, wood, or plastic.As stated at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kubotan which is herebyincorporated by reference into this disclosure, the Kubotan's “principaltargets in self-defence include bony, fleshy and sensitive parts such asknuckles, forearms, the bridge of the nose, shins, stomach, solarplexus, spine, temple, ribs, groin, neck and eyes.” The same is true forthe Yawara. These sticks can often be held firmly within the defender'sfirst and so are not easily taken away by the attacker. At the sametime, a quick jab or direct pressure of a hard stick end protruding fromthe hand, against any bony or soft, sensitive part of the attacker'sbody (such as the top of the hands, neck or chest area, or for an attackthat appears potentially lethal, to the eyes) can inflict enoughnon-lethal pain on the attacker to force withdrawal.

One of the earliest mentions of the term “Yawara” is found in U.S. Pat.No. 2,099,447. At column 1, lines 5 to 18, this patent states that“among the objects of my invention are: to provide a hand held weaponprojecting only a short distance each side of the hand; to provide ahand-held weapon having finger ridges to prevent the weapon from beingforced out of the hand, and having short ends projecting both sides ofthe hand and terminating in rounded striking ends; to provide a policeweapon of small size which has provision thereon to minimize the chanceof having the weapon wrested from the hand of the user during action;and to provide a police weapon which is useful for police officerstrained in ‘Yawara’, a Japanese system of defense and offense.”

Over time the term “Yawara Stick” has taken on a generic meaning forvarious designs and materials from which these sticks are made, all ofwhich share at least some attributes of the initial design. Generallythe Yawara stick has been carried in a pants pocket, jacket pocket, orpurse. But this is a disadvantage, because reaching to grab the stickfrom those locations tends to alert an attacker that a weapon may beforthcoming since a knife (if carried) is most often carried in thesesame places.

Also, these Yawara sticks have often been made in sizes (large lengthsand/or widths) which make concealed carry or quick deployment difficultor impossible. For example, the currently manufactured “Cold Steel”model “Koga SD1” Yawara stickhttp://www.coldsteel.com/Product/91K/KOGA_SD1.aspx is 7⅝″ long, and 1¼″in diameter along much of its length. It also weighs over five (5)ounces and creates a definite bulge in and hangs out of most any pocket.A smaller model “Koga SD2”http://www.coldsteel.com/Product/91MK/MINI_KOGA_SD2.aspx is certainlypocket-able, but the rather sharp four corners on each end will tend tocut into the pockets over time and could easily draw blood, which oughtnot be the intent of a defensive stick. These sharp edges also can berather uncomfortable when held in hand, with the back end restingagainst the palm for best use in forward thrusting maneuvers. Overall,there has been no provision to enable Yawara sticks, in more manageableand concealable sizes, to be carried discretely and securely upon thebody in various locations, yet still allow for very speedy deployment.Additionally, quick “one handed retrieval and deployment,” producing aneffective tactical surprise advantage, has been lacking.

As related art, the previously mentioned “Kubotan” self-defense stickswere developed in the 1960's by Takayuki Kubota as a self-defense weaponthat typically is attached to a split key ring, to which various keysare added. These sticks are typically no more than 5½″ in length, andabout ½″ or slightly larger in diameter. This is about the same overallsize as a marker pen. These are usually made from a metal such asaluminum or titanium, or one of the high-impact plastics. Most oftenthere are grooves or other milled-in areas along the main shaft, in anattempt to better the user's grip while deployed. However, cutting intoan already thinner hand-held defensive stick to attempt to increasegripping ability teaches in the wrong direction. The various embodimentsto be presented here also seek to increase a user's grip, but in a waywhich is more effective overall, and has better overall ergonomic “feel”in hand than the prior art in this area.

An example of a currently manufactured Kubotan stick can be found at:http://www.amazon.com/Fury-Tactical-Keychain-Pressure-5-75-Inch/dp/B007J8LBOU/ref=sr_(—)1_(—)1?ie=UTF8&qid=1440621841&sr=8-1&keywords=Kubotan. These smaller Kubotansticks share all of the same target areas as the Yawara stick, and areoften manufactured with one end shaped to a strong taper, terminatinginto a slightly rounded point. The end drilled for the split key-ringattachment usually has a flat end termination. It is common in use, suchas when going to and from a vehicle or walking to or from a homeentrance, to have the Kubotan “in hand” for ready access should anattack occur. Otherwise it is often “seen” dangling outside a frontpocket while the owner's keys reside within the same pocket. While thiscarry method does allow easy access, it also allows any attacker tobecome aware that a defensive weapon is being carried, negating anysurprise and tactical advantage. Also, because the Kubotan is directlyand solidly connected to the grouping of keys, placing the Kubotanwithin the same pocket as the keys often creates an uncomfortableposition while sitting as the Kubotan will tend to dig into theindividual's leg. Consequently, to prevent this discomfort as well as tomake the stick more readily available if needed, the Kubotan is oftenplaced so as to be dangling outside the pants pocket of the user andthus easily visible by others. This of course will alert the attackerthat the victim is carrying at least one type of weapon. So if an attackis made it is more likely that attack would become more vicious, in anattempt to prevent the victim from making use of such a device.

Another problem with this design, besides the possible visual warningoften given to an attacker, is that the keys can often become entangledwith the weapon under pressure of attack, possibly causing thedefender's grip on the stick to be lost, and in any case making thestick's deployment more cumbersome than need be. The Kubotans are ratherthin to begin with, but the commonly seen cutting away of material forfinger groove placement along the central shaft areas makes for a muchthinner gripping surface with which to gain a firm hold. Additionally,it does not help these sticks are made from a single material, with noseparate high coefficient of friction material to aid in grippingability. Further, even if the Kubotan weapon is well grasped prior to aconfrontation (as when going to a vehicle or home entrance), theattacker will get likely receive some warning of a strike forthcomingdue to the rattling of the attached keys during the strike if theattacker has not already seen the Kubotan dangling from the defender'spocket.

Also, there is no provision to allow free and independent use of theKubotan without the detrimental aspects of the keys being attached, asalready discussed. The burden of permanent attachment to a ring of keys,rather than an attachment which can be detached and separated in a splitsecond with a single hand motion, greatly hinders the deployment and useof the stick. The lack of a substantial handle material to provide afirm grip is also less than optimal.

Therefore, there is room for improvement as to how these defensivesticks are configured, carried and deployed by the defender. First, froma legal standpoint, there are generally fewer restrictions on carryingdevices which can be used as defensive weapons but also serve othernon-weaponry purposes, versus carrying devices for which the only use isas a weapon. Second, in order to employ a defensive stick as a weapon,the defender must first manage to quickly deploy the stick into his orher first without the attacker noticing or having time to prevent saiddeployment. Thus, the defensive stick (or sticks, if several are carriedat various locations on the user's body at the same time) needs to behidden or disguised while it is carried on the defender in the ordinarycourse of events, and must be situated on the defender's body in such away as to be deployed into the defender′ first very quickly when needed.

In addition to the Yawara and Kubotan sticks just reviewed, there iscurrently another design which has been used as a key chain defensiveweapon, called the “Comtech Stinger,” described athttp://comtechstinger.com/. This is a molded plastic palm held devicewith a single rounded point that protrudes between the ring and middlefingers when in use. Those same fingers also grasp two protrusionslocated along the central portion of the device, and are used to pullthe base section into the palm, effectively locking it into the user'sfist. A small opening along the side allows attachment of a split ringfor keys to be added. While this design is fairly well hidden whilecarrying keys, with just the point visible while in hand, it does sufferthe same problems as the Kubotan with the permanent, rather thandetachable attachment of keys enabling split-second single-motionseparation, and their possible interference with the weapon while inuse. Having only one effective working end also limits its versatilitycompared to the Yawara stick, especially with the Yawara not hamperedwith the additional burden of permanently attached keys.

Consequently, it would be desirable to have available a defensive stickwhich, in the ordinary course of events, may be easily and innocuouslycarried by a defender without drawing attention.

Additionally, it would be desirable to have such defensive stick besituated on the defender's body so as to be accessible for rapiddeployment into the defender's first when such deployment is required inthe event of an attack, with a single split-second motion by a singlehand of the user.

Additionally, it is desirable to be able to have multiple sticksavailable and situated at various locations upon the body. Should thedefensive stick user be grabbed in such a way that would hinderretrieval of the primary stick located at the front of the chest under ashirt or jacket, for example with a bear hug, having strategicplacements of additional defensive sticks elsewhere on the body wouldprove highly beneficial.

Finally, it would be desirable to have available a defensive stickwhich, once deployed, is effective to force an attacker to withdraw byinflicting non-lethal pain on the attacker, and which cannot easily bewrestled or snatched away by an attacker from a defender.

Such a device, if available, would be very useful not only to lawenforcement personnel as a way of applying non-lethal force, but also toworking individuals such as US Postal Service workers, UPS and FedExdelivery personal, process servers, and many other door-to-doorprofessionals who may at times be surprised by a hostile party whilemaking their rounds, as well as to ordinary individuals merely seekingto live their lives and do their business without being physicallyattacked.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A defensive stick and related system and method of use system for easycarriage and rapid deployment by a user thereof, comprising: a defensivestick comprising at least one and no more than two strike ends thereof;a user grip tightly affixed and substantially immobile relative to theat least one and no more than two strike ends; a carriage housingremovably mating with the first one of the at least one and no more thantwo strike ends; and a connector connecting the carriage housing to acarriage point selected from the group consisting of: a place on theuser's body, a fixed place near the user, and a material object carriedby the user; wherein: the defensive stick is no less than three (3)inches and no greater than eight (8) inches in length from end to end;the user grip is no less than three-eighths (⅜) of an inch and nogreater than one (1) inch in width; the at least one and no more thantwo strike ends are no less than one-quarter (¼) of an inch and nogreater than three quarters (¾) of an inch in width; and the defensivestick and the carriage housing are configured and fabricated frommaterials such that: absent the user applying a separation force thedefensive stick remains securely attached to and seated in the carriagehousing so as to not fall out; and when, in response to a perceivedthreat, the user applies a separation force at least one and no morethan ten pounds, the defensive stick separates from the carriagehousing, has its first strike end exposed, and thereby deploys forimmediate defensive use with a single separation hand motion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features of the invention believed to be novel are set forth in theappended claims. The invention, however, together with further objectsand advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing(s) summarized below.

FIG. 1 is an upper front perspective view of a first preferredembodiment comprising a two-sided defensive stick in accordance with theinvention.

FIG. 2 is a lower front perspective view of a preferred componentembodiment which may alternatively be configured as a grip when used inlonger length sections, or as a stick tip carriage housing employed inmultiple embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 3 is an upper front perspective view of a preferred componentembodiment which may alternatively be configured as a grip or as a sticktip cover employed in multiple embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 4 is an upper front perspective view of a first preferrednecklace-carriage embodiment for the two-sided defensive stick of FIG.1, in which this defensive stick is carried on a necklace hanging fromthe neck of a user.

FIG. 5 is a lower front perspective view of the first preferrednecklace-carriage embodiment of FIG. 4, after the stick has beenseparated from the necklace and is deployed for defensive use.

FIG. 6 is an upper front perspective view of a second preferredbelt-carriage embodiment for the two-sided defensive stick of FIG. 1, inwhich this defensive stick is carried hanging from a belt worn by theuser.

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of the second preferred belt-carriageembodiment of FIG. 6, after the stick has been separated from the beltand is deployed for defensive use.

FIG. 8 is a lower front perspective view of a key-embodiment comprisinga second preferred one-sided defensive stick embodiment in accordancewith the invention, in a third preferred key-carriage embodiment wherebythis defensive stick is carried as part of a key ring.

FIG. 9 is a front perspective view of the one-sided defensive stick ofFIG. 8, after the stick has been separated from the key ring and isdeployed for defensive use.

FIG. 10 is an upper front perspective view of the first preferrednecklace-carriage embodiment of FIG. 4, in a jogger's variation in whichthe stick is also secured to the user's torso to avert swinging whilethe user is jogging.

FIG. 11 is an upper front perspective view of a the one-sided defensivestick of FIG. 8, in a fourth preferred vehicle-carriage embodiment forthe two-sided defensive stick whereby this defensive stick is carriedhanging from a vehicle mirror.

FIG. 12 is a front perspective view of the one-sided defensive stick ascarried in FIG. 11, after the stick has been separated from the vehiclemirror and is deployed for defensive use.

FIG. 13 is a front plan view of the two-sided defensive stick of FIG. 1,after it has been separated from whatever its carriage may have been, ina configuration wherein it is deployed laterally into the user's firstand can be used to strike a target on an attacker with both forward(upward) and rearward (downward) thrusts.

FIG. 14 is a front plan view of the one-sided defensive stick of FIG. 8while being carried by the user together with the key ring in accordancewith the third preferred key-carriage embodiment of FIG. 8.

FIG. 15 is a front plan view of the one-sided defensive stick asillustrated in FIG. 14, after it has been separated from the key ringand is deployed transversely into the user's first so it can be used tostrike a target on an attacker with transverse thrusts. Additionally,FIG. 15 illustrates the deployment of either the one-sided or thetwo-sided defensive sticks of FIGS. 1 and 8 respectively, deployedlaterally into the user's fist, and for both the one-sided and two-sidedstick, schematically illustrates how the stick has been separated fromits carriage embodiment, whether the neck and vehicle hangingembodiments of FIGS. 4 and 11, the belt-hanging embodiment of FIG. 6, orthe key-carriage embodiment of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

When embodiments of the invention are referred to in this disclosure, itis to be understood that there are two basic preferred stick embodimentsfor the defensive stick of the invention which defensive stick willgenerally be denoted by the reference numeral 1. The first embodiment isa two-sided defensive stick 1 as illustrated in FIG. 1. The secondembodiment is a one-sided defensive stick first illustrated in FIG. 8and shown separately as the defensive stick 1 in FIG. 9. It also to beunderstood that there are four illustrative non-limiting carriageembodiments through which the defensive stick 1, whether one-sided ortwo-sided, is carried by the user prior to its being deployed fordefensive purposes in the event of an attack. These four illustrativecarriage embodiments are shown in FIGS. 4, 6, 8 and 11 respectively,wherein the defensive stick 1 is carried hanging from a user's neck(FIG. 4, neck not shown), hanging from a user's belt 6 (FIG. 6), carriedas part of a key ring 61 (FIG. 8), and hanging from the mount 111 of amotor vehicle mirror 110 (FIG. 11). To economize on presentation, FIGS.4 and 6 show carriage of the two-sided defensive stick 1, while FIGS. 8and 11 show carriage of the one-sided defensive stick 1. But this is forillustration only. It is to be understood that any of the carriageembodiments can be used to carry either the one-sided or the two-sideddefensive stick 1 within the scope of this disclosure and the associatedclaims. Additionally, while only these four carriage embodiments areillustrated, it will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill based onthis disclosure that other modes of carriage not expressly illustratedhere may also be employed. It is to be understood that these other modesof carriage which are straightforward variants of what is disclosed herealso reside within the scope of this disclosure and its associatedclaims. One such example is the jogger's variation as shown in FIG. 10.Having made this preliminary summary, we now examine each of theillustrative drawings in more detail.

FIG. 1 illustrates the first preferred stick embodiment of a two-sideddefensive stick 1. This two-sided stick 1 comprises two strike ends 11and a user grip 12 enclosing a center stick region 15 between the twostrike ends 11. Merely for convenient reference—and not based on anyphysical distinctness between these two ends—we shall sometimes refer tothese strike ends 11 as the “upper” and “lower” strike ends 11. As willbe seen by the hidden lines in FIG. 1, it is highly preferred that thetwo strike ends 11 be simply the two ends of a single,unitarily-fabricated strike stick including the center stick region 15.The central region 15 is then enclosed by the user grip 12, which hastwo grip ends 13 as illustrated. The strike stick ends 11 themselves arefabricated from a hard rigid material such as titanium or another metal,or from a hard plastic, or from hard wood, or from any other equivalenthard material. It is these strike ends 11 that are used defensively tostrike at a certain sensitive parts of an attacker's body in order tofend off an attack. So this material—whatever it may be—needs to besuitable to this purpose of striking an attacker and inflictingsufficient non-lethal pain to ward off an attack. The ends 11 of thestrike stick 1 should be blunt or smoothly rounded, but not sharp. Thatis because these sticks 1 are not designed to penetrate the skin, butrather, are meant to inflict pain when they strike a soft or bonyportion of the attacker's body.

The grip 12 is fabricated from a hard rubber or equivalent material witha high coefficient of friction relative to a person's hand, because itis this grip 12 which is held inside the user's first when the stick 1is being used to ward of an attacker (see FIG. 13 in which the grip ishidden from view inside the fist). Consequently, it is important toensure that the stick 1 does not slide out form the user's first andparticularly to make it nearly impossible for an attacker to snatch thestick from the user. This is why the grip 12 requires a very highcoefficient of friction in relation to the user's hand. Likewise, forthe same reasons, it is important that the user grip 12 be affixed toand substantially immobile relative to the strike ends 11 (and alsobetween the strike ends 11 for the two-sided stick). This can beachieved by fabricating the stick 1 such that the grip 12 permanentlyadheres to the strike ends 11 using glues and pastes and equivalentsattaching the grip 12 to the center region 15, and/or by ensuring thatthe inside surface of the grip 12 has a high coefficient of frictionrelative to, and is very tightly seated about so as to be practicallyinseparable from, the center region 15. Alternatively, although lesspreferred, it is possible to manufacture defensive stick 1 to compriseboth strike stick ends 11 and grip 12 as a unitary entity so that theseelements are relatively immobile, so long as the strike stick ends 11are hard and rigid, and the grip 12 has the required high frictionalcoefficient with the user's hand.

The physical dimensions of defensive stick 1 and its grip 12 aredetermined directly by the size of the user's hand. Given that peoplecome in different shapes and sizes, it will be apparent that thesedefensive sticks 1 may therefore be fabricated in different sizes, suchas, for example not limitation, extra small, small, medium, large andextra-large, in accordance with hand size, similarly, for example, tothe sizing of gloves. What is desired is a tight, high-frictionergonomic fit when the stick is deployed in the user's first as in FIG.13 (which is drawn substantially to scale in relation to the user'spalm), together with a protrusion of the strike ends 11 of approximatelyone inch on either side of the user's fist, again see FIG. 13. So for anaverage sized-hand, the end-to-end length of a two-sided defensive stick1 will be approximately five (5) to perhaps five and one half (5½)inches. Given anatomical variations in hand sizes, this may then be assmall as three inches (3) for a small adult or for a child, and as muchas eight (8) inches for an adult with a very large hand. Preferably, thewidth of strike ends 11 at their blunt or rounded extremities (theirstrike points) should be about seven-sixteenths ( 7/16) of an inch foroptimum effect combined with reasonable compactness for concealablecarry. However, this may vary from one-quarter (¼) of an inch to perhapsthree-quarters (¾) of an inch in diameter. Again, the stick is designedto inflict non-lethal pain and not intended to penetrate the skin, andso is not sharp enough to easily penetrate the skin. However more care,especially when using the smaller one-quarter (¼) inch diameter rodversions, is called for to prevent unintended punctures due to thesmaller surface area at the ends. The use of imperial system units ofinches above and elsewhere in this disclosure envisions and understandsthat metric units of like size may also be employed to specify thesephysical dimensions.

The width of the grip 12 will vary from one half (½) inch for an averagesized hand, to as narrow as three-eighths (⅜) of an inch for a smallhand, to as wide as one (1) inch for a very large hand. The optimumlength of the grip 12 between its two ends 13 is also dependent on thesize of the user's hand. Ideally, as part of the ergonomic design, whenthe defensive stick 1 is held in the user's hand as further detailed inconnection with FIG. 13, it is desirable for the user's index (first)finger to be able to wrap around the upper strike end 11 and situatejust above one grip end 13, and for the user's outermost little finger(pinky) to be able to wrap around the lower strike end 11 and situatejust below the other grip end 13. Consequently, the grip's length shouldbe approximately one half (½) inch less than the total width of the baseof the user's hand from the index (first) finger and the outermostlittle (pinky) finger inclusive, as measured with the four fingersstraight and with no spaces between the fingers showing. That is, thisis about one half (½) inch less than the total width of the base of thefirst, second, third and fourth fingers with no finger spread. Thisallows for a comfortable and secure grip, as the ring and pinky fingerssubstantially “lock” the grip ends 13 within the user's closed fist. Itshould be noted that there is some room for personal preference indeciding on how long the grip 12 should be for any particularindividual, but the guidelines listed directly above have worked well inexperimental testing and are comfortable while the sticks are deployedin various hand and finger gripping positions. It is also possible tomake use of any sized defensive stick in an emergency, no matter whatthe dimensions, but the best ergonomic fit will certainly be noticeableand appreciated by the user if these sizing guidelines are considered.

On top of the high frictional characteristics discussed above, thisergonomic fitting adds additional security to the user's grip by makingit even more difficult for the stick 1 to be dislodged by an attacker.Optionally, as part of the ergonomic design intended to further securethe user's grip, a slightly raised and rounded grip section may beprovided proximate the center of the grip 12 at the region schematicallyindicated by the broken line 14 in FIG. 1, so as to situate between theuser's middle finger and ring fingers.

FIG. 2 illustrates a component of the invention what may alternativelybe configured as a grip 12 or as a stick tip carriage housing 2, whichis why this component element is illustrated by both reference numerals12 and 2. So as will be seen, this is used as a carriage housing 2 inFIGS. 4, 6, 8 and 10, but is also used (with elongation in someinstances) as a grip 12 in FIGS. 4, 6, 10, 11 and 12. Similarly, FIG. 3illustrates a component that may alternatively be configured as a grip12 or as a stick tip cover 3, which is why this is illustrated by bothreference numerals 12 and 3. So as will be seen, this component elementis used as an optional stick tip cover 3 in FIGS. 4 and 6, while it isprimarily used as a grip 12 in FIGS. 8 and 9, because the defensivesticks are much shorter and the FIG. 3 component when used as a grip 12works well to fill the palm area to support the single strike end 11 ofthe defensive stick 1. Additionally, when the two-sided strike stick 1as shown in FIG. 1 is used as a training device while working with apartner, use of a tip cover 3 on each end (not shown) helps to preventpossible injury for a miscalculation of depth or intensity of strike.

FIG. 4 shows the first of the four carriage embodiments used toillustrate the invention. This embodiment is for necklace carriage, andis illustrated using, without limitation, the two-sided defensive stick1 of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 in turn illustrates how the stick 1 is deployed fromthis carriage embodiment for use against an attacker. We see in FIG. 4that carriage housing 2 hangs at the end of a necklace loop 41 whichloop 41 is capable of being draped around the neck (not shown) of theuser. The two-sided defensive stick 1 then mates with carriage housing 2such that when necklace loop 41 hangs from the user's neck, the upperstrike end 11 removably mates and seats inside of the carriage housing 2and so hangs from the necklace. Additionally, and entirely optionally, astick tip cover 3 removably mates with and is seated over the lowerstrike end 11.

Now we turn to FIG. 5 to discuss how the stick is deployed. Initially,before the carriage housing 2 has had time for the usual initialstretching and seating in around the strike stick end 11, there can be atighter fit than would be preferable to effect release. Until thisinitial stretching has been obtained, it would be advisable to use alubricant such as Vaseline or thin grease to lightly coat the inside ofthe carriage release 2. In any event, irrespective of using a lightlubricant on a “new” carriage housing 2 or making use of a well seatedand “broken in” carriage housing 2, when the user perceives an attack,the user moves his or her hand to the front of his or her torso to theposition of the stick 1, places one hand on the user grip 12, and with amild tug initiates a smooth but rapid “one handed” release of the strikestick end 11 from the carriage housing 2 with just a moderate effortagainst the neck cord 41. Should the advised lubricant not be used on a“new” unbroken in carriage housing 2, the user can still initiate aneffective release by placing one hand on user grip 12, the other hand onthe carriage housing 2, then pulling with a slight twisting motion tofree the strike stick end 11 from the carriage housing 2. Obviously itis preferable to make use of a light lubricant until the carriagehousing 2 has stretched a little, in order to lighten the friction holdon the strike stick end 11, as this would allow easy “one hand”deployment of the defensive strike stick end 11.

With a well seated in or lubricated carriage housing 2, the frictionbetween upper strike end 11 and carriage housing 2 within which it isseated is such that when the user pulls these apart with sufficientseparation force in the range of a few pounds (perhaps 1 to 5 pounds,and no more than 10 pounds, for example not limitation), the stick 1will separate 22 from carriage housing 2 and the overall necklacecarrier 5. However, absent the user applying this separation force, thefrictional characteristics of the system are such that the defensivestick 1 remains securely seated in the carriage housing 2 so as to notfall out.

When the optional stick tip cover 3 is in place, the user will have aready “choice” of differing intensities of defense available when thestrike stick 1 is in hand, to possibly deter a milder threat using theless painful wide rubber stick tip cover 3 end. But the user could alsoseparate 32 this stick cover 3 from the lower strike end 11 if it wereperceived a more serious attack was forthcoming and both bare stick ends11 are required.

The frictional characteristics for separation 32 of stick cover 3 aresimilar to those just described for the separation 22 of carriagehousing 2, except that generally no lube is used here so twisting andpulling combined work best to remove tip cover 3 until it has worn in alittle through repeated cycles of adding and removing it. Once thisseparation 32 is done, the two sided strike stick 1 of FIG. 1 is in theuser's hand, separated 22, 32 from all other components shown in FIGS. 4and 5, and so may be deployed for defensive use and used against anattacker using the various techniques that are known in the art forYawara and Kubotan type sticks. The basic grip once the stick 1 has beenso-separated, is that shown in FIG. 13, and is useful for deliveringhammer-like blows in two directions.

Alternatively, for efficient forward thrusting maneuvers, it ispreferable to hold the stick 1 similarly to what is shown in FIG. 13,but shifting the thumb into a position that mimics “pinching” of theupper strike end 11 (thump tip facing forward atop upper strike end 11).The base of the thumb and forefinger also rest against the upper edge 13of user grip 12.

It will be appreciated the friction as between the strike ends 11 andboth the carriage housing 2 and stick tip cover 3 is sufficient to holdthese elements together absent the user applying a force to pull theseelements apart, but that when the user does apply a modest force in therange of a few pounds (e.g., one to ten pounds) these elements will comeapart as shown. To reassemble the carriage configuration of FIG. 4, theuser simply reverses the process and pushes the elements back togetheralong the path denoted by 22 and optionally 32.

With this, it can be seen how the carriage configuration of FIG. 4 (andother carriage embodiments to be shortly described) providepatentably-distinct advantages over defensive sticks known in the art.When an attack occurs, the defender must often take action within afraction of a second in order to deter the attack, or will end up havingto succumb to the attack. Once the defensive stick 1 is in the user'shand, it is used in ways known in the art. But the important challengeis to deploy the stick 1 securely into the user's hand very rapidly, ina split second, when required in response to a rapidly-forming attack.

Toward this end, FIG. 4 provides an unobtrusive way to carry a defensivestick on a user's body, in a location where the stick can be deployedwithin a split second when the need to do so arises. First, if the stick1 is hanging inside the user's shirt, the attacker will not be on guardanticipating that the defender is even carrying the stick. Second, allthat is needed to deploy the stick is a single yanking hand motion toseparate 22 the stick 1 from its carriage housing 2. Third, because theuser grip 12 has a high coefficient of friction with the user's handwhen held as shown in FIG. 13, and is ergonomically configured to befirmly held by the user, and because it is effectively “locked” in placebetween the pinky and first finger wrapping around both strike ends 11,it becomes extremely difficult for the attacker to snatch the stick 1from the user. Certainly, it would be much more difficult for theattacker to wrest the stick 1 from the user than it would be to wrestway a gun or a knife, as the latter offer far more material to seizeupon. And because the stick 1 is designed to situate laterally within atight first 131 per FIG. 13, and because the natural physiologicalresponse to an attack is for the defender's fists to clench even moretightly than usual, this stick 1 truly becomes a defensive weapon thatcannot be taken away from the defender so long as the defender isconscious.

As to the stick tip cover 3, it is also seen from FIGS. 4 and 5 why thisis optional. As previously mentioned, having one end covered in a softerand wider material allows the user an immediate “choice” as to how bestto respond appropriately to an attack. If the user is simply grabbed bythe wrist by an obnoxious drunk who won't let go no matter how hard theuser pulls back, an appropriate response might be a light wrap on thetop of the grabbing hand of the offender with the softer tip cover 3 asshown in FIG. 4. Against an obviously serious attack, where multipleattackers may be involved, the bare ends of both the upper and lowerstriking surfaces 11 might be called for. However, while use of thedefense stick 1 with tip cover 3 in place is gentler and less painful onany attacker compared to making use of both strike ends 11 in anuncovered state, it is still effective as a strong deterrent to a lessserious attack. In some situations the user may not have time to removethe optional stick tip cover 3, even if he or she would have preferredto do so, and so will have to make use of both the covered and uncoveredstrike ends 11. However, the user will always have control over whichend of the strike stick 1 to use for best effect, based on whichspecific strikes are chosen to be initiated and delivered. Given today'slitigious society, there is a real concern that the user to respondappropriately to any attack, and having multiple strike tip optionsimmediately available seems most reasonable.

In the FIG. 4 necklace carriage embodiment, the defensive stick 1 may bepositioned under a shirt with buttons along the front. This allows forquick “one handed” retrieval from between the button's spacingjunctures, especially when optional tip cover 3 is in place providing asubstantial gripping surface from which to pull strike stick 1 free ofits carriage 2. Alternatively, is worn under a loose fitting T-shirt andcarried on a longer neck cord, positioning the lower tip of strike stick1 just above the navel allows quick retrieval from under the lower edgeof the shirt providing the shirt was worn in the “untucked” casual mode.This embodiment might also be carried over a shirt, but under apartially closed jacket, similarly allowing concealable carry combinedwith easy accessibility.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a second of the four carriage embodiments used toillustrate the invention. This embodiment is for belt carriage, and aswith FIGS. 5 and 6, it is illustrated using, without limitation, thetwo-sided defensive stick 1 of FIG. 1. Indeed, the salient features ofFIGS. 6 and 7 are the same as those of FIGS. 4 and 5, except that thenecklace carrier 5 is now replaced by a belt carrier 7. Specifically, inthis embodiment, the stick 1 is carried on the user's belt a portion ofwhich is depicted by 6, for example not limitation, using a beltattachment loop 62 containing clasps 63 that can be mounted about thebelt 6, and an attachment ring 61 joining the belt attachment loop 62with the carriage housing 2. This embodiment may be especially usefulfor security guards, for example, as a backup defensive weapon, or forwhen lethal force is not appropriate.

It will be understood that the belt carrier 7 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 isexemplary and not limiting, and that persons of ordinary skill maydevelop other equivalent configurations all within the scope of thisdisclosure and its associated claims. For example, one may omit theclasps 63 in favor of a loop 62 that simply slides over the belt 6 asthe user is putting on the belt 6 while dressing. Or, the claps 63 maybe replaced by equivalent attachment devices such as Velcro-typesystems. An attachment ring 61—which can be a simple key ring—may alsobe omitted or replaced by other equivalent devices, so long as theoverall functional effect is to enable attachment ring 61 to hang from abelt 6. And the illustrative use of the user's belt 6 is also notlimiting; carriages hanging from other items of the user's clothing(e.g. belt loops) are equally regarded to be within the scope of tisdisclosure and it associated claims.

So, in these FIGS. 6 and 7, the upper strike end 11 of the defensivestick 1 mates with carriage housing 2 in exactly the same way as inFIGS. 4 and 5, and there is again an optional stick tip cover 3 over thelower strike end 11 with identical characteristics and modes of use.Now, when the user needs to respond to an attack, the user reaches downtoward his or her belt 6, and with a modest amount of force separates 22the upper strike end 11 from the carriage housing 2, and thus theoverall defensive stick 1 from the belt carrier as shown in FIG. 7. Ifthe optional stick tip cover 3 is in place, as previously discussedthere could also be a second separation 32 initiated based on the levelof threat anticipated.

Additionally, to facilitate comfort, the stick used with the beltcarriage embodiment may be made a little shorter so that it does notsituate underneath the user's buttocks while sitting. In this variation,the element labeled as tip cover 3 in FIG. 6 could easily be employed asgrip 12, with the element labeled as the grip 12 in FIG. 6 omitted orsubstantially reduced in length, and the center region 15 (see FIG. 1)of the stick 1 made shorter. This shortened stick variation also helpsprevent holes that might otherwise be created in clothing when sittingdown.

If the user is wearing a shirt or jacket on the outside over his or herpants or other bottom cover, then the fact that the user is carrying adefensive stick 1 will be concealed from the attacker, again providing asurprise advantage to the defender. Reassembly simply goes in reversefrom FIG. 7 to FIG. 6. When the optional stick tip cover 3 is used inthis belt carriage embodiment, this also acts as a safeguard to helpprevent damage to any seat cover should the wearer fail to adjust and“clear” the strike end 11 tip prior to sitting down so as to make sureit does not situate under the buttocks.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show a third of the four carriage embodiments used toillustrate the invention. This embodiment is for key ring carriage, andit is illustrated using, without limitation, the one-sided defensivestick 1 separately denoted at the top of FIG. 9. Indeed, starting at thetop of FIG. 9, we see that in this one-sided embodiment, the componentelement first shown in FIG. 3 is now employed as a required grip 12rather than an optional stick tip cover 3. This means that stick tipcover 3 now is not removable from the strike tip 11. Rather, like thegrip 12 embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, this grip 12, albeitdifferently-shaped, permanently adheres to the strike stick 1 usingglues and pastes and equivalents, and/or by ensuring that the insidesurface of the grip 12 has a very high coefficient of friction relativeto, and is very tightly seated about so as to be practically inseparablefrom, the strike stick end 11.

In this key ring carriage embodiment, the single end 11 of the one-sidedstrike stick 1 mates with the carriage housing 2, with the sameremovable and frictional characteristics previously described inrelation to FIGS. 4 through 7 (requisite separation force of at leastone and no more than ten pounds). As in FIGS. 6 and 7, the carriagehousing 2 is in turn connected with an attachment ring 61 which in thiscase really is a simple key ring. So in effect, as seen in FIG. 9, thecarriage housing 2 is threaded onto a key ring 6 together with any andall other keys 81 to form the key ring assemblage 9. Then the one-sidedstrike stick 1 simply mates with and connects and disconnects from thecarriage housing 2 as warranted.

FIGS. 14 and 15 actually show a preferred method by which this key ringcarriage embodiment is used. The “x” 134 and directional arrow marksdenoted by 132, 133 and 151 in FIG. 15 denote using the stick 1 tostrike an attacker's body, respectively, in a forward, rearward, andtransverse direction relative to the curl of the users' fingers.

In ordinary activity, a person walking through a parking lot or otherarea where there is some risk of attack would carry the key ring carrierassemblage 9 as shown in FIG. 14, with the grip 12 already enclosed andconcealed within the user's hand 131 as shown by the hidden lines inFIG. 14. So to an attacker, it would appear as if the potential victimis simply dangling his or her keys 81 while walking to or from theirvehicle. However, when an attack appears threatened, all the user needsto do is separate 22 the key ring assemblage 9 from the one-sideddefensive stick 1 as shown in FIG. 9, which separation 22 is done via asingle, rapid, split-second hand movement once the keys 81 or carriagehousing 2 are grasped with the other hand.

Once this split-second movement has been completed, the user willnaturally be holding the blunt strike end 11 of the defensive stick 1protruding transversely from the defender's hand, exiting between themiddle and ring finger, in the manner shown by the unbroken line drawingof the strike end 11 in FIG. 15, contrast FIG. 14. Then, the user candefend with the defensive stick 1 of FIG. 9 remaining in this transverseorientation. The strikes may be punching or jabbing strikes, which canbe very disconcerting to an attacker when directed toward the face. Or,if time permits or the situation warrants, the defender can alsoreorient the blunt strike end 11 laterally across the hand in either ofthe forward or rearward orientations also shown FIG. 15. The orientationof grip 12 as shown in FIG. 15, with the strike end 11 exiting the healof the hand (pinky side) as shown with strike directional force arrow133, allows for very effective and quickly repeatable downward hammerstrikes 134 upon such bony target areas as the collarbone, shoulder, andhead. This is also probably the most powerful strike option availablewith these shorter single-sided strike sticks 1, because the user'swhole body can generate additional power and weight behind the blows.

As with the carriage embodiments shown in FIGS. 4 through 7, in the keycarriage embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9 the reassembly of the entireembodiment proceeds from FIG. 9 to FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 illustrates a jogger's variation of the necklace carriageembodiment already discussed in connection with FIGS. 4 and 5. Thisvariation recognizes that a person who is simply walking slowly can wearthe necklace of FIGS. 4 and 5 without the defensive stick 1 swingingvery much so as to draw attention from an attacker or cause discomfortto the wearer, but that when a person is jogging the defensive stick maywell be prone to swinging around as a consequence of the jogger'srunning motions. Therefore, the stick tip cover 3 is replaced by asecond carriage housing 2, which still covers the lower strike tip 11 asin FIGS. 4 and 5. However, there is now added a jogging stabilizer 10attached to a lower portion of the second carriage housing 2. This maybe attached by threading through second carriage housing 2, or by anyother attachment device as will be apparent to a person of ordinaryskill in the art. This jogging stabilizer 10 is preferably simply anelongated length of cord, fabric, or other equivalent substance ormaterial of sufficient length to wrap around the jogger's torso (notshown). This stabilizer 10 is then tied to itself using a loop 102 orany other equivalent device known in the art and attached to/about theuser's torso, such that it causes the defensive stick 1 to situaterelatively motionless in the front of the user's torso somewhere betweenthe breastbone and the navel. In this configuration, because of thisdamping effect on the swaying of the stick 1, if the necklace carrier 5(see FIG. 5) and stick 1 are worn under a shirt or jacket, an attackerwill be hard-pressed to notice that the runner is carrying a defensivestick 1. And the jogger will not have a swaying stick interfering withhis or her comfort while running.

In the event of an attack, this variation will generally deploy with twomotions, designated by the first and second separations 22 and 32already discussed in connection with FIGS. 4 and 5. As noted then, thereis a slight increase in deployment time because the defensive stick 1must be separated from both of the carriage housings 2 illustrated inFIG. 10. But, there is an advantage gained because the restraint imposedby the second carriage housing 2 helps to avoid attention by theattacker, and so shifts some element of surprise over to the defender,especially if the device is worn under a jacket and over a shirt.

Even here, with practice the user can achieve a quicker “one motionrelease” from both carriage housings, should the user wear the joggingstrike stick 1 of FIGS. 1 and 10 fully exposed and freely available,perhaps at night where there is less lighting and the device would notbe readily discernible, or while wearing an all-black version of thejogger's strike stick 1 and against a solid black shirt. In one of thesescenarios, it is fairly easy to grasp the strike stick 1 in the middle,pull downward with one hand to free it from the upper carriage housing2, and then during the same motion rotate the hand positioning so thatthe thumb and forefinger begin to turn over and away from the user.Continuing in one motion the user then releases the strike stick 1 fromits second lower carriage housing 2 by simply continuing to outstretchthe arm as in a punching motion. This one-handed one-motion releasetechnique could conceivably culminate in an immediately deliverable“first strike” to an attacker who is already in range, and would surelyprovide a tactical surprise advantage. Additionally, if worn under ashirt or jacket the natural response of a victim is to turn away from anattack and attempt to run away. This is what an attacker expects, so theabsence of visual perspective by the attacker gives the defender a fewmoments to deceptively free and retrieve the strike stick 1 from its twocarriage housings 2. Reassembly, as always, proceeds oppositely todisassembly and deployment.

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate a fourth of the four carriage embodimentsused, without limitation, to illustrate the invention. This embodimentis for vehicle mirror carriage, and it is illustrated using, withoutlimitation, the one-sided defensive stick 1 separately denoted at thebottom of FIG. 12. Here, the defensive stick 1 is based on theillustration of FIG. 1 including the grip 12 embodiment of that Figure,but it only has one strike tip 11, not two. One could just as readilyuse the one-sided stick 1 illustrated in FIG. 9 with the grip 12 firstshown in FIG. 3. Or, one can regard the grip 12 embodiment of FIG. 12 asbeing equivalent to using the FIG. 2 embodiment as a grip 12 rather thana carriage housing 2. Or, one can use the two-sided stick 1 of FIG. 1and hang this from the vehicle mirror rather than the neck as in FIG. 4.And other permutations are also understood to be possible within thescope of this disclosure. All of this underscores the versatility andinterchangeability of the basic invention elements of FIGS. 1 through 3,with various lengths of the FIG. 2 element.

In functionality, FIGS. 11 and 12 are very similar to FIGS. 4 and 5. Inthe FIGS. 4 and 5, the defensive stick 1 is carried hanging via anecklace loop 41 from the user's neck. In FIGS. 11 and 12 the defensivestick 1 is carried hanging via a similar loop 41 from the mount 111 ofthe rear view mirror 110 of the user's motor vehicle. In all otherrespects, aside from the modular interchangeability of the variouselements of FIGS. 1 through 3 and the option of having one-sided versustwo-sided sticks 1, everything is the same. If the user is in his or hervehicle and perceives an attack, then starting with the configuration ofFIG. 11, the user pulls down on the grip 12 in a single split secondhand motion to separate 22 the defensive stick 1 from the mirror carrier120, and the stick may then be deployed in the various ways illustratedin FIG. 15. If the two-sided stick embodiment is used with a stick tipcover 3 as in FIGS. 4 and 6, then if desired the cover 3 can be removedin a second split-second motion, or left in place as previouslydiscussed allowing for a choice in appropriate response.

While FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate hanging the stick from a rear viewmirror, it is understood that one might also choose to hang them fromother places in a vehicle, for example not limitation, the clothinghangers which are frequently installed above the rear passenger doors ofmotor vehicles. And while FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate the defensive stick1 hanging by itself, it is understood that to make the stick lessconspicuous to an attacker, one might hang other items (not shown) alongwith the stick 1, such as but not limited to, air fresheners, religiousor other objects, handicapped placards, etc. which are routinely hungfrom rear view mirrors.

As has already been largely reviewed, FIG. 13 illustrates the two-sideddefensive stick 1 of FIG. 1 laterally situated inside the defender'sfirst 131 after said stick 1 has been separated 22 from its carriagehousing 2 (irrespective of carriage embodiment) and, if applicable, alsoseparated 32 from the optional stick tip cover 3. (While a right hand131 is illustrated, it is of course clear that this can be used in theleft hand as well.) So the method of use is to first grasp the stick 1laterally in the palm and secure the stick 1 by making a first 131 asillustrated. To separate 22 the stick 1 from the carriage housing 2, asimple split-second hand movement completes the separation. If desiredand time permits, the optional separation 32 of stick tip cover 3 can besimilarly accomplished with a second split-second hand movement. Theinside of the palm then firmly contacts the grip 12 (see FIG. 1, buthidden from view in FIG. 13) and the frictional characteristics of thegrip 12 together with the preferred fit of the length of the grip 12 to“lock” the stick between the first and pinky fingers, make it virtuallyimpossible for the attacker to snatch the stick 1 from the defender solong as the defender is conscious. Indeed, as already noted, thephysiological tension of the defender will naturally contribute to aneven tighter grip than would be obtained under relaxed circumstances.

Then, the defender may strike 134 the attacker with one or more forwardthrusts 132 and/or rearward thrusts 133 as warranted under thecircumstances by requirement and opportunity. The “martial arts” methodsfor wielding a defensive stick—such as a Yawara or Kubotan stick—againsta defender are then employed with this defensive stick 1 as well.Because these methods are well known in the art, they need not bereviewed here. But what is not known in the art, and what is provided bythe present invention, are the stick and carriage configurations whichenable simple unobtrusive stick 1 carriage and rapid, split-seconddeployment of the stick into the defenders' hand for use via what arethereafter well-known martial arts methods, as well as thehigh-frictional, low profile ergonomic grips which also do not appear tobe part of the prior art in this field of practice.

As has also already been largely reviewed, FIG. 14 illustrates how thekey ring carriage embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9 would ordinarily becarried by the user in the course of walking through an area ofpotential threat. As reviewed, this is carried so as to appear to anattacker that the potential victim is simply dangling his or her keys 81while walking to or from their vehicle. But as has also been reviewed,when a real attack is threatened, the user simply separates 22 the keyring assemblage 9 from the one-sided defensive stick 1 as shown in FIG.9 with one split second hand movement. Following, the strike end 11 ofthe defensive stick 1 will naturally be protruding transversely from thedefender's hand as shown in the solid line portion of FIG. 15 (forstrike path 151), fully deployed for defensive use, without any furtheradjustment whatsoever.

Then, by thrusting transversely 151, the defender strikes 134 atsensitive targets so as to inflict pain on the attacker's body, such asat the attacker's knuckles in order to escape from a grab or choke hold.Or, by shifting the wrist and arm (with knuckles and blunt strike end 11now facing the attacker) and thrusting forward 132 the defender strikes134 at the head, neck, or solar plexus, as already known in the art. Attimes, the sight of a relatively thin cylindrical weapon protruding froma responding fist, and especially coming at the attackers facerepeatedly in a jabbing motion, may be enough deterrent to end theconfrontation immediately without a single blow actually landing. Othertimes the defender may be “engulfed” in a clinch by a much largerattacker, and so will have little room from which to generate a fullswing striking blow. One effective way to generate striking power inthese situations, especially with the much shorter one-sided defensivestick 1 of FIG. 9, is to use the hand not holding the stick as a“pushing” force lever to drive the strike end 11 into the face or chestof the attacker. Very little working room is needed to generate a greatdeal of “discouragement” to the attacker, since the powerful shouldermuscles of the driving arm, together with any contribution of the hipsand general body weight are generating the power, which is transferredquite effectively through the relatively small surface area of thestrike end 11 of these defensive weapons.

Remembering that the intent is to escape and get away from an unprovokedattack as free of physical injury to the defender as possible, it is notthe intention for these defensive sticks to be used to “win the fight.”So choosing striking points or targets which will be painful for theattacker, but not cause permanent injury or maiming should be consideredfirst. Usually accessible to the defender and which cause lots of painto the attacker if struck are joint areas such as the wrists, elbows,knees, top of the hands, forearms, collarbone, ribs, etc., and mostanywhere where bone is close to the surface of the body. Often an actual“strike” is not needed, for simply pressing with a digging motion of theblunt end of the stick into these bony areas, or at the throat and neckareas, is sufficient to repel an attacker. This is useful, of course,when the attacker is within very close range. Only in a life-threateningassault against a knife or gun, or sexual assault, would an intentionalstrike to the eyes, ear canal, or temple be warranted, but everyindividual defender will have to decide for themselves in that regard ifan unfortunate circumstance arises.

In addition to showing the deployment of the one-sided stick 1 using thekey ring carriage embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9, FIG. 15 also illustratessome other aspects of the invention and its use that cut across andunify all invention embodiments. First, FIG. 15 illustrates how theblunt strike end(s) 11 of defensive stick 1 may laterally protrude fromthe front or rear end of the defender's first 131 to permit forward 132or rearward 133 thrusts. This of course is the configuration of FIG. 13for the two-sided stick 1 of FIG. 1, but it also applies to theone-sided stick 1 of FIG. 9 after repositioning by the user. Andspecifically regarding the one-sided stick 1, as desirable under thecircumstances and given the opportunity, the defender may simplyreorient the blunt strike end 11 to point forward or rearward, and thenuse forward 132 or rearward 133 thrusts to deter the attacker. Or, thedefender may choose to carry the key ring carriage embodiment so that italready protrudes laterally rather than transversely, in which case noreorientation is needed after separation 22.

Of special importance, due to its high effectiveness and strikingefficiency, one may orient the grip 12 of the one sided strike stick 1(of FIG. 9) into the position wherein the strike end 11 exits past thepinky finger, and the grip 12 is well secured into the center of thetightly closed fist. With this orientation repeated and rapid “icepick”style hammer blows can be delivered downward onto the head, neck,collarbone and upper body that will drive off much larger individuals.It is also a very natural movement for those without any specialtraining, so will not easily be forgotten at a time of stress. Ofcourse, these same downward hammer blows also work very well with thetwo-sided stick 1 of FIG. 1, but is especially useful with the one-sidedstick because of the fewer strike direction choices immediatelyavailable at one time.

Second, FIG. 15 also illustrates the commonality and unity of inventionamong all of the carriage embodiments of the invention as well asbetween the one-sided and two-sided defensive stick 1. The arrows 152schematically illustrate how the resulting deployment of a one ortwo-sided stick 1 with blunt strike end(s) 11 in the user's first 131 isthe net result of a method wherein a split-second separation motion 22by the user extracts the defensive stick 1 from its carriage, whetherthat carriage is the necklace carrier 5 or the mirror carrier 120 (“9o'clock” position in FIG. 15), the belt carrier 7 (“7 o'clock” positionin FIG. 15), or the key ring carrier 9 (“5 o'clock” position in FIG.15).

It will also be apparent how while these four specific carriers havebeen illustrated, those of ordinary skill could readily design similarcarriage embodiments fitting well within the scope of this disclosureand its associated claims. Specifically, it is clear that elements 5, 7and 120 in FIG. 15 broadly represent hangers, wherein the stick 1,whether one or two-sided, is hung either from the user's person or froma fixed object (e.g. vehicle mirror) within reach of the user.Consequently, “hanging” from the user or from a fixed object is oneprimary mode of carriage. Likewise, it is clear that element 9 in FIG.15 broadly represents attachment of the stick 1 to ordinary materialobjects (e.g. keys) usually carried by people as they move from onelocale to another. Other ordinary objects to which the stick 1 mightreadily be attached in like manner would include, but are not limitedto, purses and pocket books, briefcases, wallets, ID cards, cellulartelephones, cameras, cases for glasses and/or hearing aids, laptopcomputers, and so on. Indeed, attachment to any ordinary material objectthat someone may routinely carry on his or her body is regarded to bewithin the scope of this disclosure and its associated claims. Bylinking/connecting the defensive sticks to carriage via a person's body,via nearby hanging places, and via routinely-carried objects, thisinvention makes the capacity of defensive sticks available to ordinarycitizens who are merely looking to move safely and routinely through theworld without being physically assaulted. In other words, these possiblepoints of anchoring/carriage thus utilize a connector connecting thecarriage housing to a carriage point selected from the group consistingof: places on the user's body, fixed places near the user, and materialobjects carried by the user.

Although the inventive principles have been illustrated using thetwo-sided stick 1 embodiment of FIG. 1 and the one-sided stick 1embodiment shown distinctly in FIGS. 9 and 12, it is understood thatonce the easy carry, quick deploy and firm grip features of theinvention are understood, this disclosure can be adapted and applied toother preexisting defensive sticks, including but not limited to Yawaraand Kubotan sticks, fully within the scope of the associated claims.Thus, the specific sticks 1 illustrated in this disclosure areexemplary, not limiting.

Also, a commercially available solid rod fire making steel, such as the“Light My Fire” Army Model Fire Steel (see, e.g.,http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013L2DKU) with its ⅜ inch diameter rod, couldwork quite well as the material element (strike end 11) of a one sideddefensive stick when carried similarly to what is shown in FIGS. 4, 6,8, 11, and 14. The cord and striker commercially included with this FireSteel would not be needed for this secondary use as a defensive stick,although the separate flat steel striker would attach easily to any keyring. A simultaneous benefit is that this is then available to start afire if needed. Note that in FIGS. 8 and 9, it is the carriage housing 2that is attached to the key ring 61, with the stick end 11 in turnmating with the carriage housing 2 so as to be removable therefrom witha single hand motion. In contrast, this “Light My Fire” stick, if put ona key ring in the manner shown at the linkhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013L2DKU, would be attached at its handle notat its end, and therefore cannot be removed from the keys or the keyring in a single motion were the user desirous of employing it as adefensive stick. However, if used in connection with the presentinvention, the “Light My Fire” stick could mate to the carriage housing2 at its rod shaped tip similarly to what is shown in FIG. 8. The widerplastic “base” could then serve the same defensive purpose as the grip12 as shown in FIG. 8 after separation 22 and deployment, and would beseparable 22 with the same single hand motion. This “Light My Fire”stick could also serve quite well as a single sided defensive stick ifcarried in accordance with the neck and mirror carriage inventionembodiments of FIGS. 4 and 11. So, if deployed defensively after beingcarried in accordance with the invention after separation from the cordand striker, the “Light My Fire” stick could similarly be unencumberedby keys and carriage assemblage. The discussion of FIGS. 8 and 9 makesclear why the permanent attachment of a defensive stick (whether or notfire-capable) to the key ring is not desirable.

Further, as has already been discussed to some degree, the particularshapes which are illustrated for the grip 12 or for stick tip carriagehousing 2 are likewise exemplary, and non-limiting. It should also beclear especially from FIG. 15 that the design and fabrication of thesesticks 1 and their various carriers and covers is highly modular, andthat these modules may be mixed and matched as desired by the user. So,for example, a user might take a single stick 1 and be able to use thatstick 1 with a choice of several different carriers. Or, for example, auser might take a single carrier, and use it sometimes with a one-sidedstick 1 and at other times with a two-sided stick 1. And of course, theuser may or may not choose at various time to employ the optional sticktip cover 3. All combinations and permutations of these elements, evenif not expressly illustrated here, are regarded within the scope of thisdisclose and its associated claims.

As noted, an important aspect of this invention arises from the abilityof the user to separate 22 the stick from its carrier with a single,spilt-second hand motion. This is achievable because of the lightfriction, requiring a force of at least one and no more than ten pounds(with a “broken in” or lubricated carriage housing 2) that holds thestick tip 11 in its carriage housing 2. Thus, this single motion trulyis a single motion, because there are not any release buttons to press,sliders to slide, catches or latches to move or rotate, etc., in orderto facilitate separation 22. These extraneous, cumbersome releaseelements which would consume precious time to actuate in the event of anattack are omitted from the present invention. One simply exerts aseparating force 22 between the stick 1 and the carriage housing 2without any other movement or action, and without actuating any type ofrelease element.

It should be noted that choices in materials used for the strike ends 11are considered based on the intended application, characteristics of thecomponents and what is needed of them, a desire for compactness orsuperior strength, weight, and of course cost. For example, the jogger'sembodiment as shown in FIG. 10 benefits greatly if a very lightweightnylon or other hard and durable plastic such as polypropylene is usedfor the strike ends 11, because in that application the effects ofmomentum and centrifugal force have to be accounted for while running.These physical forces are much reduced when lighter materials are chosenfor this application, as an actual nylon prototype established intesting when compared to a similarly sized stick made from Titanium.

In most embodiments, strike ends 11 (and central regions 15) are madefrom Titanium in the tough Grade 5 alloy (6AL-4V) and so provide greatbenefits in strength and corrosion resistance. Yet, these are far moretime consuming and difficult to cut and finish. Also, abrasives used toshape and finish the material wear quickly (raising production costs),and are more expensive as a raw material than some other choices.However, ultimate strength, corrosion resistance, durability and even ahigher density adding somewhat to the delivered energy at the target, onbalance, are weighed against countervailing factors of increasedproduction labor and material costs.

Reinforced rubber hoses are a preferred choice for the carriage housings2 and central grips 12 on many of the embodiments because of their highcoefficients of friction, strength, availability in various internaldiameter sizes, and very reasonable cost due to the economies of scalefor production. These hoses are used extensively in the automobileindustry as common fuel line hoses, and one long hose length can easilybe cut in automated fashion into many shorter lengths suitable for useas grips and housing for the present invention. Indeed, the illustrationof “open” ends for non-mating sides of the housings 2 in FIGS. 4, 6, 8,9, 10 and 11 envisions that these housings have indeed been fabricatedsimply by cutting an extended length of hollow rubber hose. These rubberhoses are also of a material type that is resistant to the lubricantsused until “break in” fit has been accomplished.

The tapered grip 12 of FIG. 3 as used in several illustrations of theone-sided strike stick 1 was chosen because it is comfortable to holdwithin the palm, and is a tight fit for use on the 7/16 inch diameterrods that are preferred in many applications. This tapered grip 12 isalso fairly strong, and may be formed around a steel washer positionedwithin its base against which the strike end 11 rests, and whichprevents the strike end 11 from breaking through during heavy use. It isalso readily available at reasonable cost, again due to economies ofscale since it is marketed as a popular Trekking or walking stick tip,but may be re-purposed for use in connection with this invention. Note,when these preexisting tips are used as an optional tip cover 3 for thepresent invention, some material can be removed as needed from withinthe interior walls to allow for easier installations/removals, or alubricant such as Vaseline can used.

As part of the overall ergonomic design, all reinforced rubber hosehandle 12 sections preferably have had their outer edges reasonablytrued “square,” sanded, and partially beveled (area 13 on FIG. 1, butbeveling not shown). Absent such beveling, the outer corners may beuncomfortably sharp to the hand, and with the potential to abrade thehand or fingers. A similar beveling procedure is preferably done to allcarriage housing 2 sections, at both the top and bottom. Also, the innercorners at 13 may optionally be beveled to ease insertion of the strikeend 11, dependent on the fit of the components and the sizing tolerancesof any particular batch of hose.

During manufacturing, all the various rod materials used for the coresections of every defensive stick 1 are first cut to size, groundagainst a stone wheel to true to square, and either lightly beveledalong the outer edge or fully rounded based on preference. Finalfinishing is done with a hand held motorized sander, followed by a final“hand brushed” finishing using, e.g., a Scotch-Brite pad or equivalent.As a general rule, when Titanium is used, each double-sided Titaniumstick 1 takes about forty-five minutes to complete all the various stepswhen manually prepared in small batches of ten (10). By comparison,manual preparation of a nylon stick takes just ten to twelve minutesgenerally. In both examples this includes cutting and finishing the hosesections for handles 12 and carriage housings 2, adding the holes forthe cords 41, and hammering in place the tight fitting hose handles ontothe shaft, after wetting the materials for some light lubrication, andusing a few special fixtures to avoid damage to the hose ends duringinstallation. The handles 12 used along the center of the sticks do goon very tightly. Automated fabrication certainly provides faster productyields.

In the end, a variety of concealable and readily accessible defensivestick products are produced within the scope of this invention, that canfit into any budget depending on materials and overall size chosen.These sticks 1 offer anyone a reasonable chance to escape and survive anattack if they have a basic understanding of how best to use them.Training in the art of Yawara and Kubotan stick use with an instructorwould of course be beneficial, and will aid in building self-confidencewithin the mind, and fluidity in execution of technique. However, muchof the known art in Yawara and Kubotan technique is available for freethrough accessing online videos at YouTube and elsewhere, and so areavailable to most anyone. Because much of what a person does in crisisand under stress reverts to human instinct anyway, a basic understandingof defensive stick techniques, and a ready and capable “tool” at theready, will certainly improve anyone's chances for survival if everattacked without provocation.

The world is not what it once was, and dangerous situations can confrontanyone with little or no warning on any street in America and elsewherearound the world. Many jobs require regular contact with the public,sometimes in dangerous areas or deep into the night hours. US Postalworkers or private carrier personal working for UPS or FedEx, processservers, pizza and other food delivery workers, cab drivers, businessowner and their employees, all could be a little safer with the rightdefensive tool at hand and some knowledge of how to use it. Often afirearm is difficult or impossible to acquire, and it would beunwarranted to make use of deadly force in a less serious confrontationanyway. Even those who work in a fairly secure workplace environmentstill have to go out in the morning as they leave for work, park in asometimes dark and insecure parking area, and return back home in theevening. This can and on a daily basis over the whole population doesplace people “in the wrong place at the wrong time.” It is better to beprepared for that unfortunate possibility than have to “wing it.”

One aspect of some of the invention embodiments is their versatilitywhen used in other ways unrelated to their defensive utility. Forinstance, the shorter defensive strike stick 1 as shown in FIGS. 9 and14 with grip handle 12 attachment makes for a fine “door knocker,” withboth a “sharper” and louder sounding uncovered end, and a more muffledsounding (and door finish protecting) rubber covered end. Any deliveryperson could reasonably be expected to carry such a utilitarian devicefor their line of work. Even when hanging from a stick tip carriage 2 asshown in FIG. 4 and worn around the neck in plain view, most would neversuspect the device was primarily a defensive weapon.

Similarly, a strike stick 1 in a more standard length (in relation tothe hand size) might be worn on the belt loop embodiment as shown inFIG. 6, also in the open if the user is a delivery person, processserver, or police officer. For anyone needing to reach a homeowner attheir residence, for example a process server who is a bearer of badnews that can elicit a hostile reaction, the job could justify wearingsuch a device. But in this case, with the longer strike stick 1 andoptional stick tip cover 3 in place, (and especially if made in theheavier and denser Titanium), one also has fine “meat tenderizer” atone's disposal following a quick cleaning of the rubber tip first. Thisworks well to break up the meat fibers by hand pounding the wider rubbercovered end repeatedly into and across the entire meat surface a fewtimes over a cutting board, and then flipping the meat over andrepeating. The stick tip cover 3 used has a generous depth“crosshatching” built in that helps to prevent slipping of the toolagainst the meat, and a rounding to the end as well that really worksthe tip deeper into the fibers to break them up and tenderize. As anadded bonus the user gets a mild workout, and a chance to practice someof those “icepick” hammer blows previously discussed on a partner whowon't ever complain. This can also be used to crush garlic, and usingthe uncovered end works well to break open walnuts in the shell. Forwalnuts one simply places the walnut within the hand not holding thetool, and places the base of the walnut against a cutting board placedon a solid surface. Then one brings the uncovered end of the stick 1over the top of the hand holding the walnut, and positions the uncoveredtool tip through the opening of the hand and on top of the walnut alongthe seam of the nut casing. Gripping the walnut securely while alsocontrolling the strike end 11 of the tool with the same hand, and usingpalm of the now empty strong hand, one gives a solid “rap” onto therubber covered end of the stick. With practice one will becomeefficient, and again get a small workout and practice the “driving” tiptechnique.

Also, in an emergency such as when a child or pet is locked in a car ona hot day and in obvious distress, it is conceivable the larger sizedTitanium strike stick 1 could be used to break out a side window to freethe child or pet.

While all of the carriage embodiments are illustrated in this disclosurein terms of their functional utilitarian characteristics for enabling adefender to easily carry and rapidly deploy a defensive stick inresponse to an emerging attack, it is understood that these variousembodiments may be embellished with a variety of design features, notshown or enumerated here, to make them more aesthetically pleasing inappearance. It is understood that such an enhancement in aestheticappearance also serves the functional benefit of making the stick moreunobtrusive, thus lulling an attacker into a false sense of security bynot being aware that the aesthetically pleasing apparatus being carriedthe intended victim is in fact a defensive weapon.

The knowledge possessed by someone of ordinary skill in the art at thetime of this disclosure, including but not limited to the prior artdisclosed with this application, is understood to be part and parcel ofthis disclosure and is implicitly incorporated by reference herein, evenif in the interest of economy express statements about the specificknowledge understood to be possessed by someone of ordinary skill areomitted from this disclosure. While reference may be made in thisdisclosure to the invention comprising a combination of a plurality ofelements, it is also understood that this invention is regarded tocomprise combinations which omit or exclude one or more of suchelements, even if this omission or exclusion of an element or elementsis not expressly stated herein, unless it is expressly stated hereinthat an element is essential to applicant's combination and cannot beomitted. It is further understood that the related prior art may includeelements from which this invention may be distinguished by negativeclaim limitations, even without any express statement of such negativelimitations herein. It is to be understood, between the positivestatements of applicant's invention expressly stated herein, and theprior art and knowledge of the prior art by those of ordinary skillwhich is incorporated herein even if not expressly reproduced here forreasons of economy, that any and all such negative claim limitationssupported by the prior art are also considered to be within the scope ofthis disclosure and its associated claims, even absent any expressstatement herein about any particular negative claim limitations.

Finally, while only certain preferred features of the invention havebeen illustrated and described, many modifications, changes andsubstitutions will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore,to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all suchmodifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of theinvention.

I claim:
 1. A defensive stick system for easy carriage and rapid deployment by a user thereof, comprising: a defensive stick comprising at least one and no more than two strike ends thereof; a user grip tightly affixed and substantially immobile relative to said at least one and no more than two strike ends; a carriage housing removably mating with the first one of said at least one and no more than two strike ends; and a connector connecting said carriage housing to a carriage point selected from the group consisting of: a place on the user's body, a fixed place near the user, and a material object carried by the user; wherein: said defensive stick is no less than three (3) inches and no greater than eight (8) inches in length from end to end; said user grip is no less than three-eighths (⅜) of an inch and no greater than one (1) inch in width; said at least one and no more than two strike ends are no less than one-quarter (¼) of an inch and no greater than three quarters (¾) of an inch in width; and said defensive stick and said carriage housing are configured and fabricated from materials such that: absent the user applying a separation force said defensive stick remains securely attached to and seated in said carriage housing so as to not fall out; and when, in response to a perceived threat, the user applies a separation force of at least one and no more than ten pounds, said defensive stick separates from said carriage housing, has its first strike end exposed, and thereby deploys for immediate defensive use with a single separation hand motion.
 2. The defensive stick system of claim 1: said carriage point consisting of a place on the user's body consisting of the user's neck; said connector comprising a necklace loop for hanging said carriage housing from the user's neck; and said separation force is applied by the user reaching in front of the user's torso and tugging down on said defensive stick such that upon separation, the stick is instantly deployed in the user's hand for immediate defensive use.
 3. The defensive stick system of claim 2, further comprising: said defensive stick comprising exactly two strike ends thereof; a second carriage housing removably mating with the second one of said strike ends; and a jogging stabilizer connecting said second carriage housing to the user's torso, wherein: the combination of the attachments of said two strike ends to said two carriage housings and of said two carriage housings to the user's body situate the defensive stick relatively motionless in the front of the user's torso.
 4. The defensive stick system of claim 1: said carriage point consisting of a place on the user's body consisting of the user's belt; said connector comprising a belt carrier for hanging said carriage housing from the user's belt; and said separation force is applied by the user reaching to the location where said stick is hanging from the belt and tugging down on said defensive stick such that upon separation, the stick is instantly deployed in the user's hand for immediate defensive use.
 5. The defensive stick system of claim 1: said carriage point consisting of a material object carried by the user; said material object carried by the user consisting of at least one key on a key ring; said connector comprising said key ring connecting said carriage housing to said at least one key; and said separation force is applied by the user holding said user grip in one hand, while tugging said key ring and said carriage housing away from said defensive stick with the other hand such that upon separation, the stick is instantly deployed in the user's hand for immediate defensive use.
 6. The defensive stick system of claim 1: said carriage point consisting of a fixed place near the user consisting of a mount of a motor vehicle mirror; said connector comprising a loop for hanging said carriage housing from the said mount of said motor vehicle mirror; and said separation force is applied by the user reaching below said mount and tugging down on said defensive stick such that upon separation, the stick is instantly deployed in the user's hand for immediate defensive use.
 7. The defensive stick system of claim 1, further comprising: said defensive stick comprising exactly two strike ends thereof; and a stick tip cover removably mating with the second one of said two strike ends; wherein: said defensive stick and said stick tip cover are configured and fabricated from materials such that: absent the user applying a separation force said stick tip cover remains securely attached to and seated upon said second strike end so as to not fall off; and when the user applies a separation force at least one and no more than ten pounds, said stick tip cover separates from and exposes said second strike end.
 8. A method for a user easily carrying and rapidly deploying a defensive stick, said method comprising: connecting a carriage housing to a carriage point selected from the group consisting of: a place on the user's body, a fixed place near the user, and a material object carried by the user; removably mating said carriage housing with the first one of at least one and no more than two strike ends of said defensive stick such that absent the user applying a separation force said defensive stick remains securely attached to and seated in said carriage housing so as to not fall out; in response to a perceived threat, the user applying a separation force with a single separation hand motion of at least one and no more than ten pounds upon a user grip tightly affixed and substantially immobile relative to said at least one and no more than two strike ends of said defensive stick, thereby separating said defensive stick from said carriage housing and exposing the first strike end of said defensive stick, thereby immediately deploying said defensive stick for defensive use; wherein: said defensive stick is no less than three (3) inches and no greater than eight (8) inches in length from end to end; said user grip is no less than three-eighths (⅜) of an inch and no greater than one (1) inch in width; and said at least one and no more than two strike ends are no less than one-quarter (¼) of an inch and no greater than three quarters (¾) of an inch in width.
 9. The method of claim 8: said carriage point consisting of a place on the user's body consisting of the user's neck; hanging said carriage housing from the user's neck using said connector comprising a necklace loop; and the user instantly deploying said stick in the user's hand for immediate defensive use by reaching in front of the user's torso and tugging down on said defensive stick.
 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: providing said defensive stick with exactly two strike ends thereof; connecting a second carriage housing to the user's torso using jogging stabilizer; removably mating said second carriage housing with the second one of said strike ends; and situating the defensive stick relatively motionless in the front of the user's torso using said combination of the attachments of said two strike ends to said two carriage housings and of said two carriage housings to the user's body.
 11. The method of claim 8: said carriage point consisting of a place on the user's body consisting of the user's belt; hanging said carriage housing from the user's belt using said connector comprising a belt carrier; and the user instantly deploying said stick in the user's hand for immediate defensive use by reaching to the location where said stick is hanging from the belt and tugging down on said defensive stick.
 12. The method of claim 8: said carriage point consisting of a material object carried by the user; said material object carried by the user consisting of at least one key on a key ring; connecting said carriage housing to said at least one key using said connector comprising said key ring; and the user instantly deploying said stick in the user's hand for immediate defensive use by holding said user grip in one hand while tugging said key ring and said carriage housing away from said defensive stick with the other hand.
 13. The method of claim 8: said carriage point consisting of a fixed place near the user consisting of a mount of a motor vehicle mirror; said connector comprising a loop for hanging said carriage housing from the said mount of said motor vehicle mirror; and the user instantly deploying said stick in the user's hand for immediate defensive use by reaching below said mount and tugging down on said defensive stick.
 14. The method of claim 8, further comprising: providing said defensive stick with exactly two strike ends thereof; removably mating a stick tip cover with the second one of said two strike ends such that absent the user applying a separation force said stick tip cover remains securely attached to and seated upon said second strike end so as to not fall off; and to expose said second strike end in response to a perceived threat, the user applying a separation force at least one and no more than ten pounds to separate said stick tip cover from said second strike end. 